Pupil Premium

Pupil premium is ‘additional’ funding to schools based on the number of pupils who qualify for a Free School Meal [FSM] and who are Looked After [LAC] in an attempt to address the current inequalities between these children and others. The funding includes any student who has been on FSM within the past 6 years.

Schools are free to use the funding as they see fit and are responsible for the use of the additional funding ‘to support pupils from low income families and other target groups’. Using a range of strategies we expect to:

* improve the levels of attainment and progress for targeted students * over time gradually close any achievement gaps that may exist

In making provision for and focusing upon those students who qualify for FSM we recognise that, whilst financially disadvantaged, not all children who receive FSM will be disadvantaged socially. Equally there will be students who are not eligible for FSM who require significant support.

It is important that we use our combined resources to support those students who are ‘in need’ regardless of eligibility. The capacity and strategies we create will therefore be used to impact on the maximum number of students who require additional support including our most vulnerable students.

In addition to the additional funding we shall also allocate where possible further resources from our budget to meet needs and this has certainly been the case over the past few years. The total amount of Pupil Premium funding received for 2015-16 was £424 490. The amount allocated to the school for 2016-17 was £436 675.

We monitor very carefully the progress of all of our students on a regular basis, including those who qualify for FSM and we have a very extensive range of additional programmes and support for students that supplement our curriculum, pastoral systems and extra–curricular activities. This funding has not only allowed us to continue with the various programmes already underway, but has enabled us to introduce further changes following ongoing evaluation and reviews.

The impact of our strategies is encouraging at every level, with 'disadvantaged' students performing well, especially relative to the national picture. Case studies are available which illustrate the support given to individual students and their outcomes. We are never complacent and are constantly reviewing our practice to ensure that any barriers to success for all of our students are removed. Encouragingly, data shows narrowing of gaps.

Planned Expenditure for 2017-2018 and Review of 2016-2017 Expenditure:

In addition to the Pupil Premium, we also receive a smaller amount of money to support some of our most vulnerable learners who require extra intervention when they first arrive to us from Primary School. Details of how we spend this money and the impact it has, can be found below: